My May 2015 Photo of the Month is La Mesa Lumber, an image made at the Motor Transport Museum located in Campo, California.
La Mesa Lumber Background
This image is from a set of photographs I made at the Motor Transport Museum in Campo, California. My friend Jim McGinn suggested this as an outing for our San Diego Photo Club. This was quite a cool and unique place.
A storm was blowing through San Diego County, so many did not brave the rain. This resulted in some dark, gloomy, backgrounds to the various decaying vehicles on the former property of the Campo Milling Corporation. There are many hidden gems at the Motor Transport Museum. Some, such as this La Mesa Lumber machine, are brightly colored and contrasted beautifully with the weather.
La Mesa Lumber is still a going concern. I am not a car guy, so I am not sure what this vehicle was used for exactly. I am sure it was used for moving lumber and other products. The paint job still looks very nice. A small example of what you can photograph on-site.
Itâs good to have friends to share locations and trips with. I wouldnât have likely visited this spot on my own, and a âjunkyardâ wouldnât have appealed to me. Jim showed me otherwise. This place is awesome and I recommend it to anyone venturing out to East County. The Motor Transport Museum is usually open on Saturdays between 9 AM and 5 PM. The depth, breadth, and range of different vehicles they have are mind-boggling. Some are restored, some are being fixed, others are being reclaimed by nature. Itâs incredible to consider how many memories are stored in all this metal.
As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy the image.
T.M. Schultze is a San Diego-based photographer, traveller, and writer. He writes, photographs, and draws things of the outdoors that have inspired humans for thousands of years. He co-authored the Photographerâs Guide to Joshua Tree Park which can be purchased here.